That an abortion can cause grave mental injury to a woman is documented in a number of studies, and now the testimony from those victims will be heard in a dispute over the new Texas state law that requires abortion providers to perform a sonogram before destroying the unborn baby.

The ruling comes today from Judge Fortunato P. Benavides, of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in arguments in a lawsuit brought by abortion providers against the law, H.B. 15, which was signed on May 19, 2011, by Gov. Rick Perry.

The Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services brought a challenge to halt the enforcement of the law and a trial court issue a preliminary injunction on Aug. 15.

But the women who gathered to prepare the friend-of-the-court brief regarding their own injuries believe its important for future abortion patients to have the knowledge they didn’t.

“It’s hard to live with yourself after you murder someone so innocent,” wrote Cathy in an exhibit prepared for the court.

And Keri added, “I am no different than the murderers in prison right now, but I just paid someone $250 to keep it quiet and make it legal (by calling it a medical procedure).”

“The trial court in this matter refused to accept the trial court version of the brief, thereby refusing to listen to the views of the 317 woman, all Texas residents, represented herein, who submitted their personal testimonies of their experiences with abortion,” he said.

“The experiences of these women, as recognized by the U. S. Supreme Court, have an important bearing on the issue of abortion, and, in this case, on the trauma, both physical and psychological, that can be avoided by enforcement of the Texas law being challenged … by the plaintiff abortionists.”

The order from Benavides also accepted amicus filings from the American Center for Law and Justice, Houston Coalition for Life, the Texas Alliance for Life Trust Fund and others.

The filing cites the recent detailed report from the state of South Dakota that found of almost 2,000 women interviewed, more than 99 percent said abortion is destructive of the rights, interests and health of women and that abortion should not be legal.

Regarding the psychological consequences, that state task force said, “Perhaps worse, the pregnant mother is not told prior to her abortion that the procedure will terminate the life of a human being. The psychological consequences can be devastating when that woman learns, subsequent to the abortion, that this information has been withheld – information that would have resulted in her declining to submit to an abortion.

“The psychological harm of knowing she killed her child is often devastating,” the report said.

The amicus brief substantiates that with a compilation of statements from post-abortive and recovering women:

From Nona Ellington: “I have suffered from bouts of depression and attempted suicide, self-mutilation.”

From Bobbi: “No one told me that when they stuck the needle in my stomach that they were going into my child’s body and that [s]he would feel pain – such great pain. … No one told me … that they would be breaking her up and suck her out I pieces.”

From Carolyn: “My life is worthless to me. There is nothing in it. Shame, guilt, regret is hard to live with.”

From Karen: “I had over 25 years of nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, guilt regret, grief.”

From Kristine: “I became an alcoholic. … I also built so many walls around myself no one could get close to me.”

From M.V.: “It is something that I will regret for the rest of my life.”

From Stephanie: “I feel that I’ve murdered my son’s older sibling.”

From Kathryn, “For years, I mourned for my child and I still do. I had to face the fact that I had murdered the child. God has forgiven me but I don’t know how I can forgive myself.”

From Christi: “I became a walking dead person.”

From Elizabeth: “I should be in prison with the rest of the murderers.”

From Barbi:”It was not until years later, after I had become a Chrsistian, that I saw a movie called Silent Scream. … I watched in horror as I saw with great detail what the different procedures did to children. I fell to my knees and screamed at the top of my lungs, God please forgive me… I cried for hours.”

From Katherine:”Shame… crippling shame!”

The testimonies continue for 90 pages.

“Seeing a sonogram and having it accurately explained at the time can change some women’s minds, and, thus, many women would not suffer the guilty of killing their child,” the brief explalins.

“In order to assist the court in resolving the issues raised in this appeal, amici want to make it clear to the court that women will be harmed if the injunction against enforcement of Texas H.B. 125 is sustained,” the brief explains. “Because abortion is such a painfully difficult decision, some women might not want to see the truth of a sonogram, but that is not an ‘informed decision.’”

It noted that even the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that “some women come to regret aborting the infant life they once created and sustained.”

The brief cites the testimonies of 317 Texas woman who personally have suffered the adverse emotional and psychological effects of abortion.

“As women who have been hurt by abortion, amici are part of the class of women that the act is designed to protect, and who have a special perspective with regard to abortion. Amici seek to fully inform the court about the devastating impact of abortion,” the filing said.